


Technically Speaking

by RisuAlto



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: First Kiss, Flashbacks, Laser Tag, M/M, Mentions of Panic Attack-like Symptoms, Post Season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 11:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21475438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RisuAlto/pseuds/RisuAlto
Summary: A lot of things can happen in the midst of an adrenaline rush.  Juudai doesn't enjoy the flashbacks, but the sudden appearance of his crush isn't so bad.
Relationships: Johan Andersen | Jesse Anderson/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Comments: 7
Kudos: 67





	Technically Speaking

**Author's Note:**

> From a prompt by a tumblr blog I can no longer find. This was written three years ago, and the person has since changed their URL, but I'm not sure where they moved to.

Juudai, until this instance, had never actually imagined a situation in which playing Duel Monsters _wouldn’t_ solve the problem at hand. Hey, if it worked for the fate-of-the-world stuff, shouldn’t it work for things like deciding who slept top bunk during a school field trip? Johan apparently disagreed. 

“Forget the Duel, Juudai,” he’d suggested suddenly, even as they stood ready, Disks up and decks shuffled.

“What? Why?” Judai was at a loss—just seconds ago, Johan was completely ready to battle out the (admittedly silly) argument via paper cards and monster holograms, but it looked like someone had just flipped some sort of switch in his brain. All of a sudden, Johan’s smile was a little less challenging, a little more… sad.

“Nevermind, just forget it,” he said, brightening again. “I have a better idea.”

And that, summarily, was how the two roommates ended up in a laser tag arena, fighting in a maze rather than a gymnasium, with fake guns rather than Duel Disks. It wasn’t just the two of them, either. There were something like twenty other players in the arena, and the match was a free-for-all, with every person equally an enemy, prey, and ally. 

Shooting several people from behind and then quickly weaving out of sight behind the labyrinth of inky barriers, Juudai froze when he realized he found the experience nothing short of exhilarating. Leaning back against a wall (_I’m near a corner, this is probably safe for now…_), a wince contracted his entire frame when imagination began to take over. _What if these weren’t weak lasers? What if they were real? What if we weren’t playing for points but for keeps? What if I’m having fun because I could be hurting them? _

_What if? What if, what if, what if what if what if whatifwhatifwhatifwhatifwha—_

Someone was there. Juudai could feel it on his skin like ice, there was someone behind the barrier at his back, creeping closer with each passing second. He glanced around, almost swearing when he realized that there was a ledge on the level of platforms above him that looked down perfectly into this alcove. Anyone could have shot Juudai from there and he hadn’t even noticed. 

Even merely in the spirit of the game, that was frustrating. Juudai let a soft, “Tch,” pass his lips and darted away again, hoping to catch the person who’d been near him. He didn’t, but he did score a couple points from some other players between his old hiding spot, and what he hoped would become his new one. 

In the corner of his eye, a red light glinted. _Someone got the Seeker power-up_, he realized, since the light was almost trained on him and no firing sound effects could be heard. Smirking, Juudai dropped low and rolled across the carpeted floors, vanishing from sight and leaving his attacker totally confused. 

Blood, pumping like a stormy river, rushed through Juudai’s head, filled his ears with white noise as he drew back onto his knees. He felt warm, tingly, _wired_ with adrenaline and all from a half hour of not-even-continuous physical exertion. The feeling was incredible, soft carpet burn through his standard-issue black slacks, mild cramping in his fingers from staying poised over a fake trigger, looseness in his joints from running and tumbling…

“_90 seconds remaining,_” chimed the announcer. Juudai felt alive, and he smiled gleefully, all thoughts of evil alter-egos momentarily thrown by the wayside.

Suddenly, spontaneously, completely randomly, there was someone in front of him. No, scratch that, there was someone pressed against him, clinking the plastic of their guns and vests together as the person pressed a hand into Juudai’s side and another cradled his cheek. The brunet’s cry of surprise was silenced by a firm kiss.

The scent of this person was vaguely familiar, though it was masked by the arena smells of sweat and plastic and fog fluid, and the way they kissed was warm and kind. It stirred something poignant inside of the brunet. However, almost as soon as he found that good feeling, he was struck with shock and Juudai reached up to push the person away, because, seriously what the _hell? _He didn’t get the chance. Downward-spiral sounding chimes burst from Juudai’s vest following a dissonant _pew_-_pew_, and suddenly the strange person was pulling away just enough for Juudai to make out a face in the darkness.

His jaw dropped, words refusing to come forth (but spluttered syllables were readily available) as his flashing vest illuminated a head of aqua hair and positively _Cheshire_ looking green eyes.

“Got you, Juudai,” whispered Johan, poking the brunet with the barrel of his phaser.

The programmed announcer was counting back, “_5… 4… 3…_” yet Juudai stayed in place, stunned and generally useless with Johan leaning against him. The hum of whirring machines led into a lighter atmosphere, both physically and emotionally as the match came to an official end and the room’s stage lights went up. Laughing gently, Johan stood on his own weight again and checked the UI placed neatly at the back of his weapon.

“Man, we didn’t even _win!_” he sighed, showing it to Juudai.

_5th CrystalSniper_

_6th EHCourage_

“Y-you-!” Juudai blinked, then stomped his foot, fists curling indignantly. “You _cheated!_” he accused.

“Technically, I didn’t,” replied Johan smugly. “I broke none of the posted arena rules by kissing you. You had an equal opportunity to shoot me back, but you didn’t. So I beat you, fair and square.”

Taken aback by how perfectly normal Johan made the whole thing seem, Juudai let Johan tug him from the maze. Finally, twisting his wrist away from his best _friend’s_ hold, Judai muttered, “I want a rematch.”

Johan grinned as he took off his harness and shelved it. “I’d be all over that if we had enough money,” he said.

“Ugh!” Juudai let his own harness fall onto the rack with an unceremonious _plop_. “Fine, fine,” he said, smiling. “You get the top bunk. But I am _so_ going to beat you into next week when we play again.”

“You can _try_.” The boys were maybe a block from the arena when Juudai suddenly stopped, staring across the road and into the ocean-reflected sunset as though searching for Duel Academia on the horizon. “Juudai…” Johan started, walking back to where the boy in question had frozen.

For several moments, neither moved, with Juudai watching the distant sky and Johan watching Juudai. Finally, when the clouds had begun to turn the same color as his jacket, Juudai asked, “Johan… why didn’t you just duel me?”

Eyes nearly gold from the contrasting twilight, Johan smiled easily and warmly. “Don’t get me wrong, Juudai, I wanted to,” he said. “It’s just that… you looked so… empty. When you put your Disk up, I thought maybe there was a funnel in your head or something because all the happiness in your eyes just drained away. I didn’t want to Duel you like that, Juudai. Because if you’re not happy, then it’s really no fun for me either.”

“A Duel’s just a Duel, Johan,” Juudai shrugged, and the other boy winced, looked away, as though something Juudai said pierced him like a poisoned arrow.

“But it’s not supposed to be,” Johan sighed. “It’s not supposed to be all about winning or… or being the strongest or even just getting the top bunk. At least, I don’t think so. I thought Dueling was all about being connected. Didn’t you feel the same? Don’t you remember what that’s like?”

“I…” Juudai took his turn in to avert his eyes.

“In case you were wondering, _that’s_ why I kissed you, because you looked so _happy_. There was a real spark in your eyes again.” Johan put his hands on Juudai’s shoulders and squeezed warmly. “Don’t ever let yourself lose that spark, Juudai. It’s what makes you _you_.”

Brown eyes dropped to the pavement. “I can’t promise that,” Juudai sighed. He looked up. “But I, um. I guess I can try.” It was the smile those words put on Johan’s face that made them worth anything at all. The blue-haired boy stepped back, still grinning, and was about to keep walking back to the lodge when Juudai asked suddenly, “So was that kiss like a one-time thing?”

Johan’s steps faltered and he turned around, a thoughtful frown on his lips. “Technically… yes,” he said slowly. Juudai was certain his expression must have skydived without a parachute. His heart definitely felt like it did. Johan continued in all seriousness, “I mean, I only have one first kiss.”

Juudai moved up to him. “But technicalities aside…” he trailed off, lifting his hands without actually touching Johan, who rolled his eyes and leaned in.

“Technicalities aside,” he murmured, “I would absolutely do it again.”

Warmth suffused through Juudai’s chest as Johan held him, kissed him on a random sidewalk in the middle of a random city at sunset. He couldn’t help it when he returned the embrace, resting his hands protectively in the small curves of Johan’s body, and feeling, just for a moment, like everything was okay. 

Ice in the back of his mind whispered something like, _You don’t deserve him. You don’t deserve to be loved. _But _technically_, Juudai argued with the small presence of mind Johan wasn’t invading, Johan never said anything about love. Juudai didn’t think he needed to.


End file.
